explosion of the meteorite showering the city below with fireballs. shattering windows and damaging buildings. nearly 1,000 people were hurt. most of the injuries minor though. folks struck by debris and broken glass. [ speaking foreign language ] >> after the flash something happened for about three minutes. then we rushed outdoors. i was not alone. i was there with katya. the door was made of glass, a shock wave hit us. >> reporter: ironically, the event occurring in the same day an asteroid is supposed to buzz by earth closer than any asteroid has since 15 years ago and scientists started monitoring them. experts insist it will miss the planet by more than 17,000 miles coming closer than communication and weather slights which orbit the -- satellites which orbit the earth. >> on the scale of every 1,000 to 2,000 years and again they're about the size of the olympic swimming pool. they don't pose a threat and this one isn't going to come close the colliding with -- to colliding with the earth. >> reporter: it blew up around 18 to 32 miles above the